Digital media distribution method and system

ABSTRACT

A method and system for secure distribution of digital media files including text, video, audio and combinations of these is described. A particular embodiment involves the distribution of audio tiles (particularly music) which are presently being widely distributed over the internet without compensating the various rights holders. In some embodiments, audio content (except for an optional preview section) is encrypted in a single executable file, allowing it to be freely distributed. When consumers want to access the encrypted portion of the file, a decryption key is obtained from a remote server, but because the file includes an integral decryption engine, a decrypted copy of the file never appears on the client side. Thus, there is no unprotected copy that the consumer can illegally distribute. The disclosure also describes other advantageous techniques, such as bonding the decryption key to the consumer&#39;s computer, so it cannot be used by others.

The present invention relates generally to computers and computersoftware and more specifically, to a method and system for securedistribution of digital media files over computer networks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that data communication networks such as the Internet,Wide Area Networks (WANs) and Local Area Networks (LANs), offertremendously efficient means of organizing and distributing computerizeddata. These efficiencies have resulted in their widespread use for bothbusiness and personal applications. The Internet for example, is now acommon medium for operating online auctions, academic and public forums,distributing publications such as newspapers and magazines, andperforming electronic commerce and electronic mail transactions. It isalso a common medium for distributing electronic content includingaudio, video, still images, text and multi-media (i.e. combinations ofthese forms).

In fact, the widespread use of distributed computing and file-sharingnetworks, such as the Internet, has enabled consumers to becomedistributors of digital content, allowing anyone to copy andredistribute free and/or illegal copies of songs, photographs, videosand other digital content.

Creators of media content have a property right to the content theycreate, usually enforceable via copyright or trademark laws. The concernis the copying and distribution of this content without compensating therights holders. The mechanism to protect and track digital content isreferred to as Digital Rights Management technology or “DRM”. DRM iswidely accepted as a requirement for the distribution of media over theInternet.

Historically, copying of music was not as great a concern because of thenature of the media and the copying technology. Music was distributed onphysical media such as tapes, CDs (compact disks) or vinyl albums, orvia comparatively low-quality AM and FM radio transmissions. Copyingcontent in such formats had severe shortcomings:

-   1. quality was not exceptional to begin with, and generally    deteriorated when copied (digital CDs being a recent exception);-   2. copies had to be physically transported between parties, which is    generally slow, inconvenient and expensive relative to the retail    price of the media being copied; and-   3. copying was time consuming: copying a one hour vinyl album onto    an audio tape, for example, took one hour to do.

Digital content (including software) was also distributed historicallyon physical media such as floppy disks or CDs. While this content isdigital and thus does not deteriorate when properly copied, widespreadcopying is generally frustrated by the transporting difficulties andtime consuming nature of the copying process described above.

However, with the emergence of pervasive digital communication networkslike the Internet, the landscape has changed considerably. Digitalcontent can now be copied with no reduction in quality, and distributedwidely with almost no cost, effort or time.

To present a framework for discussion, an exemplary Internet system 30will be described with respect to FIG. 1.

The Internet 32 itself is represented in FIG. 1 by a number of routers34 interconnected by an Internet backbone 36 network designed forhigh-speed transport of large amounts of data. User's computers 38 mayaccess the Internet 32 in a number of manners including modulating anddemodulating data over a telephone line using audio frequencies whichrequires a modem 40 and connection to the Public Switched TelephoneNetwork 42, which in turn connects to the Internet 32 via an InternetService Provider 44. Another manner of connection is the use of set topboxes 50 which modulate and demodulate data onto high frequencies whichpass over existing telephone or television cable networks 52 and areconnected directly to the Internet via Hi-Speed Internet ServiceProvider 54. Generally, these high frequency signals are transmittedoutside the frequencies of existing services passing over thesetelephone or television cable networks 52.

Web sites are maintained on servers 56 also connected to the Internet 32which provide digital content and software applications to the User'scomputers 38. Communications between user's computers 38 and the rest ofthe network 30 are standardized by means of defined communicationprotocols.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 44, 54 or Internet Access Providers(IAPs), are companies that provide access to the Internet. ISPs 44, 54are considered by some to be distinguished from IAPs in that they alsoprovide content and services to their subscribers, but in the context ofthis document the distinction is irrelevant. For a monthly fee, ISPs 44,54 generally provider end users with the necessary software, username,password and physical access.

Equipped with a telephone line modem 40 or set top box 50, one can thenlog on to the Internet 32 and browse the World Wide Web, and send andreceive e-mail. Digital content can be widely distributed over thissystem 30 in a number of manners including:

-   1. posting content on Web sites stored either on the servers 56 or    on the resources of the ISPs 44, 54 themselves;-   2. employing peer to peer (P2P) software on a server 56 which allows    users to access files stored on one another's computers 38; or-   3. simply e-mailing the content files between users.

FIG. 1 is something of a simplification, as ISPs are often connected tothe Internet 32 through Network Access Points (NAPs), rather thandirectly as shown in FIG. 1. As well, the Internet itself is far morecomplex than that shown in FIG. 1. However, these details would be wellknown to one skilled in the art and are not pertinent to the presentdiscussion.

If the above problems could be overcome, not only would existing contentbe protected, but many other Content Owners would be encouraged to maketheir content and services available on the Internet and similarnetworks. This would result in far greater expansion of computernetworks, content and services than even seen today.

There is therefore a need for a method and system of securelydistributing media content over the Internet and similar networks,provided with consideration for the problems outlined above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method andsystem which obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantagesdescribed above.

One aspect of the invention is broadly defined as a method ofdistributing electronic media comprising the steps of: downloading amedia file including an integral decryption engine and encrypted mediacontent; requesting a decryption key from a remote server; andresponding to receipt of the decryption key from the remote server by:decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine.

Another aspect of the invention is defined as a computer readable memorymedium for storing software code executable to perform the steps of:downloading a media file including an integral decryption engine andencrypted media content; requesting a decryption key from a remoteserver; and responding to receipt of the decryption key from the remoteserver by: decrypting the media content using the integral decryptionengine.

A further aspect of the invention is defined as a carrier signalincorporating software code executable to perform the steps of:downloading a media file including an integral decryption engine andencrypted media content; requesting a decryption key from a remoteserver; and responding to receipt of the decryption key from the remoteserver by: decrypting the media content using the integral decryptionengine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent fromthe following description in which reference is made to the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 presents a physical layout of an exemplary communication networkas known in the art;

FIG. 2 presents a flow chart of an exemplary method of contentdistribution as known in the art;

FIG. 3 presents a flow chart of a method of content distribution in abroad embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 presents a layout of an MPE Interface screen in a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 presents a diagram of the MPE file structure in a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 presents a diagram of information flow in a preferred embodimentof the invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B presents a flow chart of a method of file distributionin a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 presents a layout of the Track Info screen of the MPE Encoder ina preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 presents a layout of the MPE Info screen of the MPE Encoder in apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 presents a layout of the Rights Info screen of the MPE Encoderin a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 11 presents a layout of the MPE Editor screen in a preferredembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A methodology which addresses the objects outlined above, is presentedas a flow chart in FIG. 3. This figure presents a method of managingdistribution of proprietary electronic media where the user locates anddownloads a single executable file containing the content he desires, atstep 70. When this file is executed at step 72, it performs two tasks:

-   1. first, it decrypts the media file using an integral decryption    engine and a decryption key; and then-   2. it presents the decrypted content of the media file to the user,    using an integral viewer, player or other suitable software    application.

The user may locate and download the content he desires in many ways, asknown in the art. This may include, for example:

-   1. downloading content posted on a Web site stored either on a web    server 56 or on the resources of an ISP 44, 54 or ASP;-   2. downloading content from another computer 38 in a peer to peer    (P2P) network such as Napster or Gnutella; or-   3. receiving a media file via e-mail from another user or company.

This download may be received over any suitable communication network asknown in the art, and may consist of several different networks workingtogether. Such networks would include wireless networks such as cellulartelephone networks, the public switched telephone network, cabletelevision networks, the Internet, ATM networks, frame relay networks,local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). The deviceemployed by the user to perform these method steps may be a personalcomputer (PC), smart terminal, television set top box, personal digitalassistant (PDA), Internet-ready telephone or other similar device. Suchdevices are well known in the art.

The nature of the media file that has been requested does not limit thescope of the invention. This document generally describes music filesbecause of the current demand in that market, but any content could bedistributed with this method including text, graphics, video, audiofiles, executable applets, data files or software files. Media contentthat is currently distributed physically could easily be distributed inthis manner, including books, magazines, newspapers, promotionalmultimedia, technical journals, music videos, movie trailers andcomplete movies. Accordingly, the viewer or player may be of any typeknown in the art, that corresponds to the nature of the media contentbeing downloaded.

The type of encryption employed also does not limit the invention.Asymmetric encryption techniques such as PGP, Diffie-Hellman and RSA arepreferred, but symmetric techniques may also be employed. Asymmetricencryption techniques are those which employ private and public keypairs, one key being used for encryption, and one for decryption.Symmetric techniques use a single secret key, the same key being usedfor both encryption and decryption.

The concept that is most important in the invention, is that thecontent, decryption engine, and viewer or player, be downloaded andexecuted as a single, executable file. The decryption key is notgenerally integral within this executable file, as downloading itindependently provides an additional layer of security. This isdiscussed in greater detail hereinafter. In this manner, the inventionof FIG. 3 addresses the problems in the art as follows:

-   1. it improves ease of use: The user does not have to configure    several independent software programs such as: decompression,    decryption, player or viewer. The user simply executes a simple    downloaded file. Hence, the method of the invention is more likely    to work correctly;-   2. it is more difficult to attack, because it does not have the    discrete components and stored intermediate files that multi-step    methods do; and-   3. it protects the content, because a decrypted file is never stored    on the client, only the encrypted version. Thus, the client can only    copy or transmit the encrypted version, and not the decrypted    version of the media content.

Thus, the digital media distribution system of the invention enablesContent Owners to distribute their content in a secure digital formatthrough the Internet and other networks rather than on a physical media.

It is also possible to obtain some of the benefits of the invention byimplementing portions of it. For example, in applying the invention to aMacIntosh™ environment, it may be necessary to download the media playerseparately rather than integral with the downloaded media file. In sucha case, the decryption engine can be configured to automatically launchthe external player without having a decrypted copy of the media filestored locally.

The preferred embodiment of the invention as described hereinafter, addsfurther features which allow the content files to be securelyredistributed and passed along to other users. As well, the mediacontent file contains electronic commerce capabilities and digitalrights management ensuring that revenues are distributed to therespective rights holders.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described withrespect to FIGS. 4 through 11. These figures present an implementationof the invention in the context of music file distribution, but ofcourse, the invention may be applied to many other types of media files.Because of the application to music, the song files are stored in MP3format and the components of the system are refered to as MPE™components (for MP3 Encrypted).

The system of the invention is a complete, secure, media distributionsystem, with built-in e-commerce, digital rights management,distribution and visual display. It combines a DRM solution with ane-commerce system and clearinghouse function, wrapped up in a secure andaccessible delivery system.

MPE files do not require an external player or any other lengthydownloads, as each file contains an embedded player; MPE filesautomatically play when clicked on. The system of the invention works onboth PC and Macintosh platforms and can easily be implemented on otherplatforms. It is a much richer and more powerful marketing tool than anyother system on the market today.

In the preferred embodiment, MPE files can be distributed through threedifferent pricing models. The first is Free, which provides no security,but does enhance the content with a rich media experience. The secondmodel is Pay, which allows consumers to preview a section of the trackat full quality before they are prompted to pay money to unlock theremainder of the track. The third model is Sponsored, which allowsconsumers to preview a section of the track at full quality before theyare prompted to view a sponsor's Website (advertisement) to unlock theremainder of the track.

There are a number of further inventive concepts employed by thepreferred embodiment which result in numerous additional benefits toconsumers and content providers. One of the major concepts is that ofbonding a purchased media file to the user's computer and transmittingthis bonding information back to an MPE server which is administratingthe purchase of the MPE file. This technique offers many benefits,including:

-   1. it offers a further safeguard against copying of content files as    the bonding will only allow the downloaded file to be played on one    specific system—the one to which the content file has been bonded;-   2. it allows mobility as the Consumer can move rights from one    computer to another. This is important as varied Internet based    devices become more common (PDAs, PCs, laptop computers,    Internet-ready cellular telephones, etc.) and users have more than    one such device. A user could download a file to a MP3 player, for    example, if it is Web connected;-   3. it allows recovery in the event of a hardware failure on the    Consumer's equipment. For example, if the user's computer crashes    and he loses access to the MPE files he has downloaded, he can    simply authenticate himself to the MPE Server and obtain new    licensed copies; and-   4. it provides an additional level of authentication for the user.

The preferred interface 80 on the Consumer side is presented in thediagram of FIG. 4. This is the display that will appear to the end userwhen he executes a media file encrypted in the manner of the invention(referred to as MPE files hereinafter). This interface 80 is designed tobe logical and intuitive, providing sufficient flexibility for powerfulbranding possibilities, while allowing consumers to easily grasp whatthey are dealing with.

The MPE interface 80 includes a graphics window 82 which may display analbum cover or other graphics, allowing for branding and productassociation. The graphics window is a full-colour 128×128 pixel bitmap.Other pixel configurations and data formats such as GIF, JPEG or TIFF,could also be used. The flexibility of this and other elements in theMPE interface 80 will become more clear from the description of otherelements of the invention which follow.

A text box 84 is also included which may display unlimited text in richtext format (rtf) or a similar format. The background colour can bemodified, as well as font, font colour, and alignment on a character bycharacter basis. Font selection includes all standard Web fontsavailable on both Windows™ and MacIntosh™ operating systems. The textbox 84 has a vertical scroll bar 86 which allows the user to quicklyscan through the presented text.

Control buttons are preferably provided as follows:

-   1. a “Web” button 88 which provides links to the Web site of the    artist or recording label, allowing the Consumer to obtain    additional or related information;-   2. a “Buy CD” button 90 which provides a Web link to buy the CD.    Clicking on this button can direct consumers to any Web site selling    the CD or other related merchandise. Alternatively, this button    could be used as a secondary Web link;-   3. a “Buy Track” button 92 which initiates the purchase process.    Clicking on this button takes the Consumer to a Buy screen, in which    the text box 84 and button set 88-94 are replaced with text and    buttons appropriate to the purchase process (described in greater    detail with respect to FIGS. 7A and 7B); and-   4. a “Get Player” button 94 to install a full-featured player    application, allowing construction of playlists, support of other    common formats, full transport controls and Internet radio    reception. As single tracks are downloaded in executable format, it    is not necessary to download the player separately in order to    perform standard functions.

The MPE interface 80 also includes the most commonly used playercontrols: a play pushbutton 96 and volume control 98, so the user canplay tracks without having to install a full player application.

Media File Structure

Each MPE file has the same file structure, no matter which track isencoded within it. FIG. 5 presents a layout of the preferred filestructure.

When an MPE file 110 is executed, the MPE Bootstrap 112 un-compressesand launches the MPE Player 114, which is compressed to allow forefficient download and transfer of the MPE file 110. The MPE Player 114is actually the fully functional Destiny Media Player, but the MPEPlayer 114 does not install unless the user clicks on the “Get Player”button 94 on the MPE interface 80.

The File Allocation Table (FAT) 116 simply tells the user's computer 38where the different parts of the MPE file 110, such as the MPE Bootstrap112 and MPE Player 114, begin and end. This is required, for example, sothat the user's computer 38 does not attempt to play audio from the MPEPlayer 114 program data.

Contained within the Encrypted MPE section 118 are several elements.

The Header 120 confirms that the file is structured in MPE format, sothat the MPE Player 114 interprets the data correctly.

The Song Specification block 122 contains several pieces of data,including:

-   -   the Song ID;    -   Distributor ID (and whether that Distributor has an exclusive        license to the content);    -   the Type of file (MP3, WAV or AVI for example);    -   playback length of the content in seconds; and    -   data as to where the Song Preview section 124 begins and ends,        and whether or not it fades on its beginning and ending.

The Song Preview section 124 is not as strongly encrypted as theremainder of the song, being encrypted with a weak 32 bit key stored inthe header 120. This does, however, prevent consumers from extractingthat audio information without an MPE player.

The surrounding song 126 is encrypted such that it can only be played onthe hardware on which it was purchased (bonding to the user computer 38as described above). If the content has not been purchased, only theSong Preview section 124 can be accessed. Note that any portion of asong can be identified as the Preview Section 124, for example: thefirst minute, all of the song, or none of it at all. The examplepresented in FIG. 5 shows a portion in the middle of the song.

Flow of Information

In the preferred embodiment, there will generally be four parties, aspresented in FIG. 6: the Consumer 130, the Content Owner 132, MPEservers 134 and the distribution server 136. It is possible of course,for a single party to perform the functions of more than one of theseentities, or for information to flow through different channels. Thesevariations would be clear to one skilled in the art from the descriptionof the invention herein.

Note that the MPE Servers 134 are referred to in the plural, becausetheir functionality may be implemented by multiple, independent servers.

The process comprises two phases. During the first phase, the ContentOwner 132 interacts with the MPE Servers 134 and the distribution server136 to encrypted content into an MPE file 110 and to make listings of itavailable on the distribution server 136. In the second phase, theConsumer 130 interacts with the MPE Servers 134 and the distributionserver 136 to identify and download the desired content, to preview it,then to decrypt it if he so desires.

The path in which information flows in the exchange of informationbetween the MPE Encoder 138 and the MPE Servers 134, or between the MPEPlayer 140 and the MPE servers 134, is transparent to both the ContentOwner 132 and the Consumer 130.

In detail, the hidden flow of information as it passes from ContentOwner 132 to the Consumer 130 may be described as follows, the lettersbelow referring to the reference letters in FIG. 6.

-   A First, source data (CD, WAV or MP3, plus image and text    information) is input into the MPE Encoder 138, by the Content Owner    132 from which the MPE Encoder 138 determines the Song Information.    The Song Information does not contain the song itself.-   B The MPE Encoder 138 then transmits the Song Information to the MPE    Servers 134, where it is stored in an MPE database. The MPE database    generates a Song ID for that specific file. The MPE servers 134 also    generate a Song Key for the purpose of encrypting the song. The Song    Key is used to add encrypted digital rights to the media file 110.    These rights include a description of who should be compensated, and    how much they should receive for each download. The media files 110    can now be made freely available anywhere on the World Wide Web,    with the security that the artist will be paid for each download    that is executed. Note that the song itself is not stored on the MPE    servers 134.-   C The MPE servers 134 send the Song ID and Song Key to the MPE    Encoder 138. The MPE Encoder 138 uses the Song Key to encrypt the    Song.-   D The MPE Encoder 138 generates an MPE file 110 as described with    respect to FIG. 5, which is encrypted and contains the Song ID. This    MPE file 110 can now be distributed, and is sent to one of the    distributor servers 136. This completes the first phase of the    process.-   E The Consumer 130 may then download a desired MPE file 110 and play    the preview section 124 of the MPE file 110 on his hardware, using    either the built-in MPE Player 140 or a compatible player already    installed on his system 38.-   F The MPE Player 140 obtains a “digital fingerprint” of the users    computer 38 or registration ID of the portable device, to determine    the User Key. This is how the executable file will be bonded to the    user's computer 38.-   G When the Consumer 130 elects to purchase or otherwise unlock the    encrypted section 126 of an MPE file 110, the MPE Player 140 sends    the Song ID, User Key, Distributor ID, User ID and User Password to    the MPE servers 134.-   H If this information can be authenticated, and it is confirmed that    the e-commerce model can be executed, the MPE servers 134 send a    copy of the Song Key encrypted with the User Key to the MPE Player    140. This encryption of the Song Key is different than the    encryption of the song. Once the MPE Player 140 has this Song Key,    it can decrypt and play the song. In the preferred embodiment, the    e-commerce model uses a “digital wallet” in which Consumers 130 set    up accounts at the MPE servers 134 by depositing a sum of money    which can be debited against. This model is described in greater    detail hereinafter.

After the file is purchased, the MPE Servers 134 track and distributethe revenue as per the royalty payment defined by the encoding process.

Process from Perspective of the Consumer

A detailed flow chart of the MPE delivery system is presented in FIGS.7A and 7B.

The process begins when the Consumer 130 downloads an MPE file 110 insome manner, at step 150. As described above, files are typicallydownloaded from the Internet utilizing a standard Web browser, but thisstep is not necessary if the Consumer 130 already has the MPE file 110on their hard drive or on a CD-ROM, or if the MPE file 110 was e-mailedto them. This step is only required if the Consumer 130 is downloadingthe file from the Internet 32.

In an e-commerce environment, the Consumer 130 will typically search forMPE files 110 using a search engine, or by visiting known distributorsof MPE files 110. When an MPE file 110 of interest is found on a Webpage, the Consumer 130 clicks on a link to download the file. TheConsumer 130 is then prompted to identify a location on their localsystem 38 in which to save the MPE file 110, generally on a hard disk.

Once the download is complete, the Consumer 130 can play the MPE file110 by electing to OPEN it from the download dialogue, or bydouble-clicking on the MPE file 110 itself at step 152. The MPE file 110will begin playing almost immediately upon opening, and graphics andtext will be displayed.

Note that many of the decision steps in this flowchart are presented asloops, step 152, for example, looping back to itself until a “yes”selection is made. This is a simplification of the actual implementationwhich allows the Consumer 130 to leave this routine at any time, eitherto download a new MPE file 110, or to exit the system altogether. Itwould be clear to one skilled in the art, how to implement such standardfeatures.

If the MPE file 110 is identified as free at step 154, the Consumer 130will be able to play the entire audio track at step 156 and the BuyTrack button 92 will not flash. The routine is then completed.

If the MPE file 110 is not free, then the routine will determine whetherthere is a preview portion of the audio track at step 158, and if so,the preview section 124 will be played at step 160. Regardless ofwhether there is a preview section 124 to play, the Buy Track button 92will then begin to flash at step 162.

If the Consumer 130 selects the “Buy” option by clicking on the BuyTrack button 92 at step 164, there are two possible purchase processmodels in the preferred embodiment: Pay and Sponsored.

The Pay model is one in which the Consumers 130 will have to pay a feein order to obtain access to the complete and decrypted MPE file 110.Upon completing playing the preview portion 124, the Consumer 130 isasked if they wish to purchase the song. If the Consumer 130 selects“No”, they will only be able to access the preview portion 124. If theyselect “Yes”, they will have to go through registration if they have notdone so previously. If they have already registered, they will be takento the “Buy” screen of the MPE Interface 80.

With the “Sponsored” model, the cost of the MPE file 110 is covered by aSponsor so the Consumer 130 can access it at no cost. However, theSponsor will generally require the Consumer 130 to perform certain actsin exchange for the access, for example, requiring the Consumer 130 tovisit the Sponsor's Web site. Many other purchasing models would beclear to one skilled in the art from the teachings herein. The inventionis not limited to the specific implementations presented.

Thus, if it is determined that the MPE file 110 is sponsored at step 166of FIG. 7B, then control passes to step 168 where the Consumer 130 isgiven the option of visiting the Sponser's Web site in exchange forhaving access to the balance of the MPE file 110. If the Consumer 130selects “No”, then the routine terminates, having allowed the Consumer130 to access only the preview portion 124 of the MPE file 110. If theConsumer 130 selects “Yes”, their default Web browser will open to theSponsor's Web site at step 170 and the balance MPE file 110 will beunlocked at step 172 by transferring the “Song Key” from the MPE servers134 to the Consumer 130. The MPE file 110 will begin immediately playingfrom start to finish at step 174.

If the MPE file 110 is identified as “Pay” model based at step 166, thencontrol passes to step 176 where it is determined whether the Consumer130 is registered. If the Consumer 130 is not registered, control passesto step 178 where the Consumer 130 obtains registration by entering ane-mail address and a password or PIN (personal identification number).For purposes of verifying identity in the event of a lost PIN, theConsumer 130 is also prompted to enter in a personal question with ananswer which only they would know.

Once registered, the Consumer 130 is taken to the Buy screen of the MPEinterface 80 at step 180. The Consumer 130 is shown their number ofcredits and the cost of the track, as well as the projected balance ofcredits should they decide to purchase the MPE file 110. A discussion ofthe preferred credit system is outlined hereinafter. While the preferredembodiment employs a credit or “digital wallet” system, any otherelectronic commerce solution may be employed including credit cards,debit cards, smart cards or e-cash.

Control then passes to step 182 where the Consumer 130 is given fourchoices:

-   1. to “Buy” the current MPE file 110;-   2. to “Cancel” the transaction;-   3. to “Review” their purchase history; or-   4. to “Buy Credits”.

Details of how these four selections could be executed would be clear toone skilled in the art from the description herein, and would varywidely with the nature of the electronic commerce solution beingemployed.

For example, if the Consumer 130 has sufficient credits to buy thecurrent MPE file 110, they may proceed with the purchase process.Clicking on the “Buy” button prompts the Consumer 130 to identifyhimself by entering his Password or PIN. If he has forgotten hisPassword, a new replacement password can be emailed from the MPE servers134 to the Consumer 130.

If the Consumer 130 has sufficient credits to purchase the track and hasauthenticated himself (i.e., has entered his Password correctly), thepurchase will be processed and he will be notified that the transactionis completed. Clicking “OK” will immediately unlock the MPE file 110 andbegin playing the MPE file 110 from start to finish.

If the Consumer 130 does not have sufficient credits to purchase the MPEfile 110, they will need to buy credits. Clicking “BUY CREDITS” from theBuy screen of the MPE interface 80 will open up the MPE Secure CreditPurchase Web site on the consumer's default Web browser. Here theConsumer 130 is prompted to identify himself by entering his PIN. Aftersuccessfully authenticating himself, the Consumer 130 is given thechoice of buying credits in $10, $25, $50 or other-sized blocks.

Having selected the number of credits they wish to purchase, theConsumer 130 is prompted to verify that this is the number of creditsthey wish to purchase. If they select “No”, they are allowed to enteranother amount and proceed with the credit purchase. If they select“Yes” they are prompted to enter their billing and credit card details.

Having submitted their credit card details, the Consumer 130 ispresented with an itemized and totaled transaction summary forverification. The summary includes appropriate sales or other taxes. Ifthe summary is acceptable to the Consumer 130, they click “Process myorder”.

If the credit card information submitted by the Consumer 130 wascorrect, they are informed that the transaction has been approved andthey are shown their new credit balance. If the credit card informationis invalid, the Consumer 130 is prompted to re-enter their details.

The credit information in the MPE Buy screen is now updated and theConsumer 130 can complete the purchase process.

If the Consumer 130 clicks on the “Cancel” button, the transaction isterminated. If the Consumer 130 selects “Review Purchase History”, asummary of his previous transactions is downloaded to him from the MPEservers 134.

MPE Encoder

MPE files 110 are generated by the Content Owner 132 using the MPEEncoder 138. The MPE Encoder 138 is designed to make the creation ofsecure files easy and quick, while providing a wide range of flexibilityfor the establishment of branding. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 present the threemain screens that interface the Content Owner 132 with the MPE Encoder138.

FIG. 8 presents the layout of the “Track Info” screen 190, whichconsists of two panes 192 and 194. The upper pane 192 has labels andfields which allow for the entry of basic track information, such as:artist, song title, composer, genre, copyright information and albumtitle. This information is automatically entered into the MPE file 110as ID3 tags. ID'tags are 128 byte data blocks that are attached at theend of the audio data in an MP3 file. ID3 tags are known in the art, andare used to carry non-audio information relevant to an MP3.

Different information fields may be included in such a pane 192particularly if the invention is being applied to a different media,such as magazine articles.

Information entered into the Track Info screen 190 is automaticallycarried forward to the MPE Info screen 220 in FIG. 9, where it is usedto generate default content for the MPE text box 222.

The lower pane 194 of the Track Info screen 190 (from “Preview” to thebottom of the window) is a common pane shared by all three screens inthe MPE Encoder 138.

Checking the Preview box 196 will indicate whether the identified songincludes a preview section (in the case of a Pay or Sponsored track) ornot (in the case of a Free track).

The bar 198 beside the Preview check box 196 allows for selection of thePreview section 124 on the basis of time. The Preview section 124 can beof any length, from 0 seconds to the entire length of the song. Previewlengths typically vary from 20 to 60 seconds, with 30 seconds being themost common length. Clicking and dragging either edge of the selectedPreview section 124 allows for movement of the beginning or end of thePreview section 124 without affecting the other extreme. In the exampleof FIG. 9, a song with a length of 2 minutes and 50 seconds ispresented, with the Preview section 124 running from 1:17 to 1:47 of theelapsed time of the song. Clicking and dragging the middle of theselected Preview section 124 allows for movement of the entire Previewsection 124 without affecting its overall length.

Double-clicking on either of the triangular markers 200 at the extremesof the selected Preview section 124 toggles between a straightstart/stop or a fade. These approaches can be combined (for example, astraight start with a faded ending, or vice versa). The example shown inFIG. 8 indicates a fade on both the beginning and the end of the Previewsection 124.

The “Source File” field allows for the selection of a source file forencoding into MPE format. The source file can be an MP3, WAV, AVI, audioCD or similar audio file. If the source is WAV or audio CD, theresultant MPE file 110 will be encoded at 128 kbps. If the source is inMP3 format, the MPE file 110 will be encoded at a bit rate equal to thatof the source MP3, allowing for higher quality MPE files 110 (withlonger file lengths). Source file names could be entered into this fieldin a number of other manners known in the art such as: being dragged anddropped, cut and pasted, or being located on the Content Owner's systemusing a “browse” button.

The Output Path field indicates where the new MPE file 110 will bestored. As a default the new MPE file 110 will be written with a filename of “[Source File].MPE.EXE” where [Source File] is the portion ofthe Source File's name before its .MP3, .WAV, or .CDA extension. If afile by that name already exists in the Output Path, a number (1, 2, 3etc.) will be appended to the end of the file name before the “.MPE.EXE”extension.

Clicking on the “New” button will erase all entered data and start theMPE encoding process again, for the entry of an entirely new MPE file110.

Clicking on the “Play” button will play the Preview section 124,allowing the Content Owner 132 to test and edit the Preview section 124.While the Preview section 124 is playing, this button reads “Stop”, andclicking on it will stop the playback.

Clicking on the “Encode” button will begin the final stage of theencoding process and write the MPE file 110 to the location given in the“Output Path” field. While encoding is being performed, this buttonreads “Cancel”, and clicking it will end the encoding process.

The preferred layout of the MPE Info screen 220 is presented in FIG. 9.This screen serves primarily to establish branding and deliver richcontent associated with the MPE file 110.

As noted above, information entered into the Track Info screen 190 ofFIG. 8 will automatically generate default content for the MPE text box222. The text box 222 is in rich text format, and allows for thebackground colour to be changed to any true colour value. Font, colour,size and attributes (bold, italic, underlined) can all be adjusted on acharacter by character basis, and alignment (left, right, centered) canbe adjusted on a line by line basis. Rich text can be cut from otherfiles or external applications and pasted into this panel.

An album cover image or similar graphic file can be included with theMPE file 110, by loading it into the album cover window 224. Thisgraphic file can be of any format known in the art, including a bitmap,JPEG or GIF. In the preferred embodiment, a bitmap of 128 by 128 pixelsin size is used. If the Content Owner 132 provides an image not matchingthese dimensions, it will be scaled (maintaining the aspect ratio) suchthat its largest dimension is equal to 128 pixels in size. The smallflower buttons 226, 228 above the album cover image open and close imagefiles. Graphics can be dragged and dropped or cut and pasted, into thispanel.

Fields for entry of two URL (uniform resource locator) links are alsoprovided in this pane: Artist Web Site and Buy CD. These entries willcorrespond to the “WEB” and “BUY CD” buttons on the MPE Interface 80,respectively, described with respect to FIG. 4 above. URLs are theaddresses used on the Internet to locate resources, and their use iswell known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the only URLspermitted in these lines are ones beginning with “http://” or “mailto:”.If an entry is made that does not begin with either of these, “http://”will be automatically appended to the beginning of the entry.

The MPE Info screen 220 provides an important contribution in theenhancement of branding which will be of great value to Content Owners132.

As noted above, the lower pane of the MPE Info screen 220 is the same“Preview” pane 194 that appears on the Track Info screen 190 of FIG. 8,and is described above.

FIG. 10 presents the final screen in the MPE Encoder 138, the RightsInfo screen 240. This screen provides all the information required bythe digital rights management (DRM) aspects of the invention. If a trackis free (no preview), this screen is unnecessary and disappearsentirely.

The “Pay Amount or Sponsor URL” field 242 allows for entry of a price inUS dollars for a Consumer 130 to purchase the MPE file 110, or for theentry of a URL that Consumers will be forced to view in order to unlockthe MPE (generally this will be the Sponsor's URL). The Pay andSponsored models are separate and cannot be combined, therefore theContent Owner 132 must determine which model to use while in this entry.The “Exclusive” check box 244 allows a file to be reserved for onespecific distributor 136, such that no other distributor can modify theMPE file 110 or be paid for sales of the MPE file 110.

The “MPE Distributor” field 246 allows any previously entereddistributor 136 to be selected from a pull down menu, or for a newdistributor 136 and the entry of all their details to be created.Compensation can be in terms of a percentage of gross revenues, or basedon a flat rate. In the preferred embodiment, the distributor percentagefield is set to default at 25% of gross receipts. If the “Exclusive”check box 244 has been selected, this distributor 136 will be the onlyone who can profit from the distribution of this MPE file 110.

As only one MPE Distributor 136 may be specified at a time, there isonly one control button associated with the MPE Distributor field246—the “New” button. Clicking on this button will erase the currententry in the MPE Distributor field 246 allowing a new entry to be made.

The “Rights Owner Name and Share” field 248 is set up in a similarmanner, allowing for the choice of any previously entered rights ownerfrom a pull down menu, or for the creation of a new rights owner and theentry of all their details. The Rights Owner Share can be set atanything from 1% to 50%, but in the preferred embodiment, all RightsOwners must total 50%.

The Rights Owner Name and Share field has three control buttonsassociated with it: Add, New and Remove. The Add and Remove buttonssimply allow the Content Owner 132 to add and remove Rights Owners toand from the summary window 250. The “New” button deletes the textcurrently entered into the editing window.

Like the Track Info 190 and MPE Info 220 screens described in FIGS. 8and 9, the lower pane of the Rights Info screen 240 also includes thesame “Preview” pane 194 that is described above.

MPE Distributor Editor

The preferred embodiment of the invention also includes an MPEDistributor Editor: a software application which allows Web sites orother businesses which distribute MPE files to alter existing MPE files110 such that they become the paid distributor 136 for any files soldthrough their distribution chain. The preferred layout of the MPEDistributor Editor interface 260 is presented in FIG. 11.

Distributor 136 information is contained outside the encrypted portionof each MPE file 110, which allows it to be modified without violatingthe security of the file. The MPE Distributor Editor makes a copy ofeach MPE file 110 loaded into it, modifying only the Distributor 136information.

The “Target” button and associated field 262 identifies the locationwhere the modified MPE files 110 will be written.

The majority of the MPE Distributor Editor Interface 260 is a field 264for listing tracks to be processed. An unlimited number of tracks can bemodified at once in a batch process.

The “Distributor” button and associated field 266 allows for the entryor adjustment of all contact details for the MPE Distributor Editor.Clicking on the “Distributor” button brings up a window with all thecontact information for a particular distributor for easy modification.

The “Add” button adds one or more MPE files 110 to the list 264 to beprocessed, while the “Remove” button removes the currently selected MPEfile 110 from the list of files to be processed.

Clicking on the “Encode” button begins the process of modifying theselected MPE files 110 and writing them into the Target directory 262.

Clicking on the “Cancel” button allows the Encoding process to beterminated after it has begun.

Features and Benefits

The system and method of the invention provides a wealth of featuresthat benefit content owners, content distributors and consumers. Key tothis are the Security, Accessibility, Superdistribution, and BrandingCapability that the invention provides.

1. Security

Security in digital content represents the degree to which that contentis protected from unauthorized use. The invention provides security inthe form of encryption, using sophisticated algorithms to encrypt themedia content such that it cannot be interpreted without the correctdecryption key.

As well, the encryption algorithm is never exposed to the Consumer 130or to the Content Owner 132. All generation of encryption or decryptionkeys is done by the MPE servers 134 and is never accessible to thepublic. The net result of this tightness of control over theencryption/decryption keys is dramatically increased security over anysystem which allows users to access multiple keys and potentiallyidentify patterns within them.

MPE decryption keys reference multiple identifiers found on theconsumer's hardware, some of which are unique. Any decryption key willtherefore only work on one piece of hardware, so MPE files 110 can beshared or copied without allowing any additional users to have freeaccess to the encrypted content of the MPE file 110. The Consumer 130never comes into direct contact with a decryption key, as the issuanceand installation of a decryption key is done automatically andtransparently to the user. Keys are issued between the MPE player 140and the MPE servers 134 without exposing them to the Consumer 130.

The decryption key of each song is itself encrypted with the individualConsumer's key before the MPE server 134 sends this decryption key (the“Song Key”) to the user's player software 140. This encrypted Song Keycan only be decrypted by the MPE playing software 140 (such as thatbuilt in to every MPE) running on that individual's hardware. This isdone to prevent piracy through file copying and sharing and is totallytransparent to the Consumer 130, making it a simple but powerfulsolution for security.

The Song Key is stored within a file on the Consumer's system 38 toallow the Consumer 130 to access the MPE file 110 while off-line. ThisSong Key is still encrypted with the user's key information while beingstored. Although the system would be more secure if it required the userto be online to access their MPE content, this is not a practicalsolution, as the vast majority of Consumers 130 are online only part ofthe time. This file is encrypted yet again, for three levels ofencryption (the song key, user key, and a third encryption on the keyfile).

These security features and their implementation differentiate thesystem of the invention from other music delivery systems in itsrobustness and invisibility from the Consumer's perspective. Thistransparent quality not only increases security, it further serves toenhance the user experience.

2. Accessibility

Accessibility, in the context of media formats, is a measure of thedegree to which a given format is easily used. A highly accessibleformat should ideally have no barriers to entry and should be simple tounderstand. Accessibility is necessary in a DRM solution because mostconsumers will not find sufficient motivation to overcome any level ofdifficulty in using a software product for the first time. In order toencourage the general public to embrace a technology, accessibility isrequired.

The system and method of the invention provides a highly accessiblesolution by being a self-executing (.EXE) file. This means that simplydouble-clicking on an MPE file 110 on any Windows™ OS (Windows 95, 98,NT, 2000) platform will cause the file to open and play itself,regardless of what software the Consumer 130 may have installed on hiscomputer 38. This dramatically increases accessibility over othersolutions which require the Consumer 130 to have installed one or moresoftware packages prior to being able to use the content. Any softwareinstallment requirement serves as a barrier to entry and reducesaccessibility. The preferred system and method of the invention has nosoftware installment requirements.

MPE files 110 is also playable on Macintosh™ computers (Mac). Althoughthe Macintosh does not support Windows-compatible executables directly,the same MPE files 110 accessible on a Windows platform can also beaccessed on the Mac. On the Mac, MPE files 110 require that a player(such as the Destiny Media Player) be installed prior to playing the MPEfiles 110. This does represent a lower level of accessibility than on aWindows platform, but preserves the accessibility of any MPE file 110across Windows, Mac, and in future Linux, PalmOS, and other platformswithout an unmanageable proliferation of formats. As many competing DRMsolutions do not support the Macintosh at all, the system of theinvention has a comparatively, very high level of accessibility on thatplatform.

Portable digital music playing devices are becoming a very popular wayto access content in MP3 or other digital formats. The system of theinvention can be easily supported on units designed to play MP3 files,as each MPE file 110 wraps up and may encrypt an MP3 file. In the caseof players which have no way to save or copy content (such as DiamondRio), a decrypted MP3 file can be generated by the MPE player software140 and transferred to the portable player.

3. Superdistribution

Superdistribution is a quality determined by how “viral” a format is, orhow easily it can spread itself from one system to another. Having ahigh degree of virality does not indicate any of the negativeconnotations associated with the term “virus”; it merely indicatesvirus-like behavior and ideally the ability to grow and spread fromsystem to system exponentially.

The system of the invention is highly viral in that it can be sharedbetween computers, delivering the same Consumer experience regardless ofhow many users have handled the file previously. When a Consumer 130downloads or receives an MPE file 110 and goes through the purchaseprocess, they are issued a User Key which is generated using referencesin their specific and unique hardware. The use of references on theConsumer's hardware is known in the art as “bonding”. The User Key whichresults will not function on any other hardware. Therefore, when theConsumer 130 shares an MPE file 110 with others, the others will have tofollow the process of the invention themselves to obtain access to theencrypted content.

MPE files 110 are very small in size, in most cases equal in size to astandard MP3 file plus 350 kilobytes. This typically represents anincrease in size of 5 to 10 percent, adding less than two minutes ofdownload time to a 28.8 modem user and only a few seconds to a broadbanduser. This means that the MPE files 110 are easily shared with others,whether through distributed computing or through e-mail. Since moste-mail services limit message size to 5 megabytes or less, this meansthat MPE files 110 of four and a half minutes or less would bee-mailable, which would include the majority of music content availabletoday.

The superdistribution offered by the invention is extremely effective aseach MPE file 110 continues to track the original distributor 136 evenafter it has passed through one or more consumers 130. Revenues continueto flow to all interested parties.

4. Branding capability

Branding capability represents the ability of a format to communicate anindividual branding message for different Content Owners 132 using thatformat. A format with strong branding capability should be able toexpress the same or enhanced product packaging commonly associated withthe content, allowing the Content Owners 132 to maintain strong andconsistent image and product placement.

The invention has very strong branding capability in that it allowsContent Owners 132 to present a unique full color 128×128 pixel bitmapimage in each MPE files 110. Further, text is presented in Rich TextFormat, allowing for layout, font and color variations throughout thetext block. The background color of the text block can also be modifiedto further reinforce the branding.

Automatically determined and supported ID3 tags associated with each MPEfiles 110 further reinforce branding by allowing compatible players toassociate the file clearly with the artist or within the genreappropriate to the content.

All these features are in stark contrast to MP3, the current downloadformat of popular choice, which only provides non-automated ID3 tags andthe filename itself for branding.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The method and system of the invention is capable of wrapping anddelivering any media type. MP3 has been used as an initial productpositioning decision, and the product will be expanded to serve as asecure digital distribution system for other file types. For example:

-   1. MPE encryption and delivery can be used to distribute and sell    printed materials such as books, reports, magazines and other text    over the Internet. Analogous to the current audio MPE, text MPE    files would provide a preview section (which may be the text which    would normally be included on a book's jacket or in advertising    literature), as well as graphics and e-commerce capabilities;-   2. entire feature films, music videos, training programs and the    like, could also be distributed over the Internet or similar    communication network using the system and method of the invention.    With film, the Preview section 124 could correlate to the preview    trailer or an excerpt of the film. As with audio MPE, MPE for film    would contain a rich media portion, providing graphics and text as    well as e-commerce capabilities; and-   3. the invention could also be used as a delivery system for    software, vector graphic animations and electronic trading cards.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is clear that changes and modifications may be made tosuch embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of theinvention.

The method steps of the invention may be embodiment in sets ofexecutable machine code stored in a variety of formats such as objectcode or source code. Such code is described generically herein asprogramming code, or a computer program for simplification. Clearly, theexecutable machine code may be integrated with the code of otherprograms, implemented as subroutines, by external program calls or byother techniques as known in the art.

The embodiments of the invention may be executed by a computer processoror similar device programmed in the manner of method steps, or may beexecuted by an electronic system which is provided with means forexecuting these steps. Similarly, an electronic memory medium suchcomputer diskettes, CD-Roms, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read OnlyMemory (ROM) or similar computer software storage media known in theart, may be programmed to execute such method steps. As well, electronicsignals representing these method steps may also be transmitted via acommunication network.

The invention could, for example, be applied to computers, smartterminals, television set-top boxes, personal digital assistants,cellular telephones, and Internet-ready telephones. Again, suchimplementations would be clear to one skilled in the art, and do nottake away from the invention.

1. A method of distributing electronic media, the method comprising:receiving a file at a user computing device, the file comprising anintegral decryption engine and encrypted media content; requesting adecryption key from a remote server; receiving the decryption key fromthe remote server at the user computing device over a communicationnetwork, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with auser key, the user key bonded to the user computing device by beingbased at least in part on one or more characteristics of the usercomputing device such that the user computing device can use the userkey to decrypt the decryption key; and responding to receipt of saiddecryption key from said remote server at the user computing device by:using the user key to decrypt the decryption key at the user computingdevice; decrypting said media content at the user computing device usingsaid integral decryption engine and the decryption key wherein receivingthe file at the user computing device comprises receiving the file froma remote computer over the communication network that includes theremote server from which the decryption key is received but through acommunication path that does not include the remote server from whichthe decryption key is received.
 2. The method of claim 1, comprising,after decrypting the media content, viewing said media content byexecuting viewer software, the viewer software also integral with saidfile.
 3. The method according to claim 2 wherein decrypting the mediacontent and viewing the media content are accomplished without storing adecrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to a user ofthe user computing device.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising, afterdecrypting the media content, viewing said media content by executingexternal viewer software linked to said file.
 5. The method according toclaim 1 comprising generating the user key at the user computing device.6. The method according to claim 5 wherein decrypting the media contentat the user computing device using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key comprises using the user key to decrypt thedecryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.
 7. Themethod according to claim 6 wherein the file is executable independentlyof other programs and wherein generating the user key, requesting thedecryption key, using the user key to decrypt the decryption key anddecrypting the media content are accomplished by executing the file. 8.The method according to claim 7 wherein the file also comprises integralmedia player software and wherein executing the file also causesexecution of the integral media player software and playback of themedia content.
 9. The method according to claim 6 wherein using the userkey to decrypt the decryption key is performed without storing thedecrypted decryption key in memory accessible to a user of the usercomputing device.
 10. The method according to claim 9 wherein decryptingthe media content and viewing the media content are accomplished withoutstoring a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to auser of the user computing device.
 11. The method according to claim 6comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content priorto decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key.
 12. The method according to claim 6 whereinreceiving the file at the user computing device comprises downloadingthe file from the remote computer using a peer to peer network, theremote computer different from the remote server from which thedecryption key is received.
 13. The method according to claim 1 whereinreceiving the file at the user computing device comprises downloadingthe file from the remote computer using a peer to peer network, theremote computer different from the remote server from which thedecryption key is received.
 14. The method according to claim 1comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content priorto decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key.
 15. The method according to claim 1 whereindecrypting the media content at the user computing device using theintegral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using theuser key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypteddecryption key.
 16. The method according to claim 1 comprising: sendingthe file from the user computing device to a second user computingdevice over the communication network over a second communication paththat does not include the remote server; upon receipt of the file at thesecond user computing device: sending a request, from the second usercomputing device to the remote server, for the decryption key; receivingthe decryption key from the remote server at the second user computingdevice, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with asecond user key, the second user key bonded to the second user computingdevice by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics ofthe second user computing device such that the second user computingdevice can use the second user key to decrypt the decryption key; andresponding to receipt of the decryption key from the remote server atthe second user computing device by decrypting the media content at thesecond user computing device using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key.
 17. The method according to claim 16 comprising,after receiving the file at the second user computing device, generatingthe second user key at the second user computing device.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 17 wherein decrypting the media content at the seconduser computing device using the integral decryption engine and thedecryption key comprises using the second user key to decrypt thedecryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.
 19. Themethod according to claim 1 wherein the decryption key received at theuser computing device is permanent such that decrypting the mediacontent at the user computing device using the integral decryptionengine and the decryption key may be performed multiple times at theuser computing device using the integral decryption engine and the samedecryption key.
 20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the user keyis based on a digital fingerprint of the user computing device.
 21. Amethod of managing distribution of proprietary electronic media, themethod comprising: receiving a single file at a user computing device,the single file comprising an integral decryption engine, encryptedmedia content and integral media playback software, the single fileexecutable independently of other programs to: obtain a decryption keyfrom a remote server over a communication network, the decryption keyitself encrypted at the remote server with a user key, the user keybonded to the user computing device by being based at least in part onone or more characteristics of the user computing device such that theuser computing device can use the user key to decrypt the decryptionkey; use the user key to decrypt the decryption key at the usercomputing device; decrypt the media content using the integraldecryption engine and the decryption key; and view the media contentusing the integral media playback software wherein receiving the singlefile comprises downloading said single file from a computer via thecommunication network; wherein the communication network from which thesingle file is downloaded includes the remote server from which thedecryption key is obtained; and wherein downloading the single file fromthe computer via the communication network comprises downloading thesingle file from the computer through a communication path that does notinclude the remote server from which the decryption key is obtained. 22.The method of claim 21, wherein said remote server tracks a number ofdecryption keys relating to the single file that have been issued by theremote server.
 23. The method according to claim 21 wherein decryptingthe media content and viewing the media content are accomplished withoutstoring a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to auser of the user computing device.
 24. The method according to claim 21wherein the single file is executable to view the media content usingthe integral media playback software without storing a decrypted copy ofthe media content in memory accessible to a user of the user computingdevice.
 25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the remote servertracks a number of decryption keys relating to the single file that havebeen issued by the remote server.
 26. The method according to claim 21comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content priorto decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key.
 27. The method according to claim 21, whereinexecution of the single file causes the user computing device togenerate the user key at the user computing device.
 28. The methodaccording to claim 27 wherein execution of the single file to decryptthe media content using the integral decryption engine and thedecryption key comprises using the user key to decrypt the decryptionkey and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.
 29. The methodaccording to claim 21 comprising: sending the file from the usercomputing device to a second user computing device over thecommunication network over a second communication path that does notinclude the remote server; upon receipt of the file at the second usercomputing device: sending a request, from the second user computingdevice to the remote server, for the decryption key; receiving thedecryption key from the remote server at the second user computingdevice, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with asecond user key, the second user key bonded to the second user computingdevice by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics ofthe second user computing device such that the second user computingdevice can use the second user key to decrypt the decryption key; andresponding to receipt of the decryption key from the remote server atthe second user computing device by decrypting the media content at thesecond user computing device using the integral decryption engine andthe decryption key.
 30. The method according to claim 29 comprising,after receiving the single file at the second user computing device,generating the second user key at the second user computing device. 31.The method according to claim 30 wherein decrypting the media content atthe second user computing device using the integral decryption engineand the decryption key comprises using the second user key to decryptthe decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key. 32.The method according to claim 21 wherein the decryption key obtained atthe user computing device is permanent such that subsequent executionsof the single file decrypt the media content at the user computingdevice using the integral decryption engine and the same decryption key.33. The method according to claim 21 wherein the user key is based on adigital fingerprint of the user computing device.
 34. A method ofdistributing electronic media, the method comprising: receiving a fileat a user computing device, the file comprising an integral decryptionengine and encrypted media content; generating a user key at the usercomputing device, the user key bonded to the user computing device bybeing based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the usercomputing device; requesting a decryption key from a remote server;receiving the decryption key from the remote server at the usercomputing device over a communication network, the decryption key itselfencrypted at the remote server with the user key such that the usercomputing device can use the user key to decrypt the decryption key; andresponding to receipt of said decryption key from said remote server atthe user computing device by: using the user key to decrypt thedecryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key at theuser computing device; and decrypting said media content at the usercomputing device using said integral decryption engine and the decrypteddecryption key; wherein receiving the file at the user computing devicecomprises receiving the file from a remote computer over thecommunication network that includes the remote server from which thedecryption key is received but through a communication path that doesnot include the remote server from which the decryption key is received.